Fitarco and Gazzetta embark on a new path together to achieve a goal: to offer enthusiasts information, insights, interviews and stories about the world of archery
Fitarco and Gazzetta embark on a new path together to achieve a common goal: to offer sports enthusiasts information, insights, interviews and stories about the world of archery. Let’s take aim, we want to hit the mark on the curiosity and desire for knowledge of those who love sport, to make readers of the rosea understand how fascinating the archery discipline is, the oldest of modern sports…
The origins
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The origins of archery are lost in the mists of time: the bow has accompanied the evolution of man as much as the wheel and the oar. Historically this tool can be traced back to around 50,000 years ago. In all the most ancient civilizations the bow and arrow have had a well-defined role for both war and hunting. In more recent times the long bow of the English archers prevailed against the French armies in the Middle Ages. The short span of the Mongol hordes of Genghis Khan at the dawn of the 13th century had no less role.
The sports tool
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The development of the bow as a sporting tool began at the end of the 18th century in England, with the establishment in 1781 of the “Royal Toxopholite Society”, which organized the first competitive competitions at distances of 100, 80 and 60 yards. A century later, in 1879, the “National Archery Association” was formed in the United States, while the first international competition took place in France, in Le Tocquet, on the eve of the First World War.
Olympic Games
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Archery had its fullest development in the 1920s. The constitution of the International Federation (FITA) saw the light in Brussels in 1931 with the membership of 8 countries, including Italy. However, the bow had already received the recognition of Baron de Coubertin who had included it in the program of the Olympic Games of Paris 1900, St. Louis 1904, London 1908 and Antwerp 1920. However, the International Federation was no longer able to have the discipline registered in the Olympic program until its return in Munich ’72 (4 years earlier it had been a demonstration sport at the Mexican Games). After the establishment of FITA (which later became World Archery) and the new competition regulations, archers found themselves in the need of having to hit a target at 90 meters (today the Olympic competition is held at 70 meters) and therefore to adapt the power of their own arches.
I materials
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The bows, initially formed from a single section of yew wood with a single curvature with a central handle, underwent numerous changes: the use of steel instead of wood, and then became double-curved composites, with different materials such as maple wood , fiberglass and magnesium, aluminum or carbon alloys. The arrows have also undergone substantial transformations. From the tonkin shaft fletched with natural feathers we moved on to cedar wood and then to aluminum and carbon with plastic fletching. The ropes, from twisted natural fibers that are too elastic, have switched to synthetic fibers that make them inextensible. In Italy – Modern archery as a sport arrived in Italy immediately after the war, imported by the Allied troops. Italian archers organized themselves in the 1950s, thanks to some enthusiasts from Treviso, Gorizia, Milan, Bergamo and Rome. In 1950 the Treviso Archery Company organized the first competition and, in 1961, the 6 already established companies gave life to the Italian Archery Federation (FITARCO) which, within a couple of decades, became one of the world leader in the various archery disciplines.
Gasport
August 3, 2020 (modified August 3, 2020 | 3:06 pm)
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2020-08-03 07:00:00
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